Increasing global trade allows consumers and producers to exchange payment and goods in ways that simply were not possible under more protectionist times. With the adoption of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), producers from all over the continent should find it much easier to move goods across Africa’s various regions, improving access for consumers, fostering efficiency, and ultimately helping to spur economic growth.
Trade has already been increasing in Africa over recent years, a positive sign that shows Africa’s overall economic landscape is moving in the right direction. In addition there have been a number of positive articles over the past week or so that detail how trade is expanding on the continent. Here are a few of the key articles below:
An article from Xinhua noted that Ghana received approval from the AfCFTA authority to trade 700 local products under the agreement. At the Made-in-Ghana Bazaar, an exhibition that drew over 150 exhibitors and 2,300 patrons in Accra, the country’s Minister of Trade and Industry stated that the Ghanaian government is interested in ensuring that the nation’s products are competitive under AfCFTA guidelines – a positive sign showing that when country’s vigorously pursue increased trade under the AfCFTA, producers benefit.
Another positive development was seen in an agreement between Malawi and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat which has allocated 900,000 euros to construct a cross-border market in Malawi’s Mchinji District, an area which lies on the Malawi-Zambia border. The market is funded by the European Union and should include shops, a warehouse, offices, space for the market, and other pieces of hard infrastructure. The article noted that the market “is expected to boost formal small-scale cross-border trade flows between Malawi and Zambia,” leading to “higher revenue collection for governments, increased security and higher income for the small-scale cross-border traders.”
Finally, there may be some good news coming to Kenyan and Ugandan producers in the near future. An article in The East African noted that Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni recently visited Kenya to discuss with Kenyan President Ruto how to best go about removing non-tariff barriers that have stifled trade flows in the East African region. In the past, Uganda and Kenya have not had the best trade relations, with Kenya occasionally blocking the import of certain Ugandan products, and Ugandans calling for retaliatory tariffs to protect the Ugandan market. Perhaps this latest meeting is a sign that things are moving in the right direction after all.
Developments such as these are encouraging to see! Each small step that allows for goods to move more easily between countries helps Africans enjoy greater access to economic freedom, and ultimately prosperity. Let’s hope we see hundreds of more of these positive developments in the near future.
Alexander Jelloian
Alexander Jelloian is the Research and Project Manager at the Initiative for African Trade and Prosperity.
Increasing global trade allows consumers and producers to exchange payment and goods in ways that simply were not possible under more protectionist times. With the adoption of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), producers from all over the continent should find it much easier to move goods across Africa’s various regions, improving access for consumers, fostering efficiency, and ultimately helping to spur economic growth.
Trade has already been increasing in Africa over recent years, a positive sign that shows Africa’s overall economic landscape is moving in the right direction. In addition there have been a number of positive articles over the past week or so that detail how trade is expanding on the continent. Here are a few of the key articles below:
An article from Xinhua noted that Ghana received approval from the AfCFTA authority to trade 700 local products under the agreement. At the Made-in-Ghana Bazaar, an exhibition that drew over 150 exhibitors and 2,300 patrons in Accra, the country’s Minister of Trade and Industry stated that the Ghanaian government is interested in ensuring that the nation’s products are competitive under AfCFTA guidelines – a positive sign showing that when country’s vigorously pursue increased trade under the AfCFTA, producers benefit.
Another positive development was seen in an agreement between Malawi and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat which has allocated 900,000 euros to construct a cross-border market in Malawi’s Mchinji District, an area which lies on the Malawi-Zambia border. The market is funded by the European Union and should include shops, a warehouse, offices, space for the market, and other pieces of hard infrastructure. The article noted that the market “is expected to boost formal small-scale cross-border trade flows between Malawi and Zambia,” leading to “higher revenue collection for governments, increased security and higher income for the small-scale cross-border traders.”
Finally, there may be some good news coming to Kenyan and Ugandan producers in the near future. An article in The East African noted that Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni recently visited Kenya to discuss with Kenyan President Ruto how to best go about removing non-tariff barriers that have stifled trade flows in the East African region. In the past, Uganda and Kenya have not had the best trade relations, with Kenya occasionally blocking the import of certain Ugandan products, and Ugandans calling for retaliatory tariffs to protect the Ugandan market. Perhaps this latest meeting is a sign that things are moving in the right direction after all.
Developments such as these are encouraging to see! Each small step that allows for goods to move more easily between countries helps Africans enjoy greater access to economic freedom, and ultimately prosperity. Let’s hope we see hundreds of more of these positive developments in the near future.
Alexander Jelloian
Alexander Jelloian is the Research and Project Manager at the Initiative for African Trade and Prosperity.